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A Battle of Ice and Fire Part I
'Section Summaries' * In A.D. 2108 War was Beginning ** The beginning of the Lake Hylia Battle * Whie Don't Belong Here ** Whie joins the battle and causes chaos * Challengers Approach ** Isaac/Senshi/Polaris en route to the battle in Hyrule Field 'In A.D. 2108 War was Beginning' CONTINUES FROM Gathering Forces-Echoes of Epoch P#105 'Baron Simeon Ryssdal, Near Lake Hylia, Night 1' On the icy wastes of Lake Hylia, an intense stillness filled the pre-dawn air. Though thousands of Twili were hidden in the southern forest near the edge of the frozen waters, not a single sound was to be heard. Everyone knew what was about to happen, of the carnage they were about to charge into. In the months since the war began the Hylians and Twili had fought tooth and nail over this valuable piece of real estate. Now with both armies gathered the stakes were at a climax. Regardless of who won or lost both sides knew it was going to be a bloodbath. In the calm before this storm one of the Twili walked lightly over and opened the curtain to a small green tent. Inside he found the Baron Simeon Ryssdal sitting on the floor with his rod and circle shield laid out before him. Entranced deep in meditation the legend among the Twili remained motionless as the novice messenger stood meekly behind him. "Lord Ryssdal, Captain Hurst and his men have arrived." "So" said Simeon slowly opening his eyes "It's time..." "Sir, should I guide him in here to speak with you?" "I'm afraid there's nothing meaningful I have to say. Captain Hurst has his orders, and we have ours. Is the final reconnaissance report in?" "Yes sir. Our scouts report 1000 estimated Hyruleans currently stationed at the lakeside garrison. We believe there are another two battalions waiting in reserve, possibly more. If our sources can be trusted we have them outnumbered by a factor greater than two to one." "Very good" replied Simeon. "Our preparations are now complete. The time has come to bring this war to a decisive end. Inform the 1000 of my pre-selected solders they are to move out immediately. The others will hold their positions until further orders are given." "But Lord Ryssdal" respectfully questioned the messenger "we have far more troops at the ready. If I may ask why are we not going to attack utilizing our full numbers." "A fair question. Your correct that if we play this battle by the books our numbers would simply crush theirs. However the Hylians can do the math too, their not stupid. If they hope to stop us they must be planning something big to counter our numerical advantage. What it is their planning I don't know, but I intend to force their hand before we commit our full army. For now 1000 is sufficient for the task I have at hand. Order the cavalry to strike as soon as they hear an explosion coming from the Hylian garrison. Tell them I shall meet them there." "Sir." Night 1 (Pre-Dawn) Heading out ahead of all the other Twili Simeon came to a stop behind a dead tree on the edge of the lake. On the northern shoreline he could see faint candlelight coming from the Hylian camp far across the tundra. There was nowhere to take cover from this point on. The moment his army tried to cross the enemy would immediately be alerted to their presence. There was only one way to sneak in undetected. What Simeon was about to do was as risky as it was audacious, but nothing came in war without risk. With his rod and shield firmly in place Simeon slung two large bomb bags filled with Bombchus over his shoulders. Lining himself up in a straight line so that he would reach the garrison gates he began to walk out onto the ice and closed his eyes. Shadow started to emanate around Simeon as light twisted across his body. As he exited the forest into moonlight his image became distorted before finally disappearing from all sight. Taking care not to walk off course with such a heavy load on his back Simeon made his way through the darkness. With the crunching of his footsteps drowned out by the chill of the wind, the Hyruleans made no note of the invisible man strolling casually into their stronghold. The baron could tell he had reached his destination when he began to hear voices of the soldiers nearby keeping watch. Getting in was the easy part. But just as the guards could not see through his cloak of light and shadow Simeon could not see out. Blinded by his own magic Simeon tried to feel his way around into a hidden corner, only to trip onto his own face. Thinking he was discovered he immediately decloaked, only to find himself wedged in a bush of tall shrubs. Breathing a sigh of relief he saw an unguarded barracks before him and stealthily worked his way in. Once inside he saw the exact situation had hoped for. Lined up in rows of beds were sleeping Hylians resting for the coming battle. Simeon felt a tinge of dishonor by not giving his adversaries a fair chance to fight, but if it meant preventing the deaths of his fellow Twili he couldn't pass this up. Saying a silent prayer he untied the bag of bombchus and activated the fuses. "Forgive me. May your deaths be painless and your crimes against the dusk be forgiven." With a hefty toss dozens of bombchus spilled out of the airborne bag and went scurrying around the room. Simeon dashed out of the barracks as the screams of countless men were deafened by the sound of explosions. As the veteran Twili ran past another building he threw the second bag through the window and watched as the building was engulfed in shrapnel. With alarm bells now being wildly rung hoards of knights swarmed out of their camps with swords drawn. As one platoon spilled out into the open they were rapidly picked off and fell to the ground. His Rod of Light glowing silver in frigid morning air Simeon fired bolts of moonbeams at his enemies as they emerged to face him. One by one they were struck through the heart with none coming close enough to harm him. It wasn't until a line of bowmen pulled back their strings in unison that Simeon leap back into the shadows and turned himself back invisible. Retreating in the direction he came Simeon herd the sound of a distant trumpet being blown. From out of the southern forests charged a line of heavy cavalrymen in the direction of the Hyrulean base. Hasty the shaken defenders of Hyrule formed their lines in the rocks before the ice. They had little time to ready themselves before Simeon whistled out a strange tune from wherever he stood unseen. From the opposite direction of where the Twili were coming a large swarm of bird like kargaroks and bat like keese descended onto the Hylians. As the men swung their weapons against the airborne beasts Simeon appeared once again to snipe off foes from a distance. Now in range the Twili cavalry lowered their sharp thin lances and galloped at full speed. The horsemen smashed headlong into rows of ill prepared pike formations, creating the most horrendous noise imaginable. Men on both sides screamed out together in anger, fear, and agony. The battle for Lake Hylia had now begun. 'Hylian Army, Lake Hylia, Night 1' “Battalion!” the Sergeant Major yelled out, “ATTENTION!” The Garrison commander walkout to address his troops making a conscious effort to put forth an air of confidence despite their desperate situation, “Listen up, for the past six months we’ve been sitting fat dumb and happy right in front of the enemies door step knowing we had a huge cliff face to keep us safe. We all knew there was no way they could scale this wall without us tearing apart there forces, but we also knew it was only a matter of time before they amassed enough men to risk it. Well men, that day is here. Now I’m not going to lie to you, from what are scouts tell me they have enough people to make it up that wall, force up back into that trail and still rip us apart even as they bottle neck. In fact until just a few hours ago I was figuring out the best strategy for a tactical retreat, but I just received word that we have several battalions’ worth of reinforcement on their way with a new secret weapon in tow. I’ve also been told that we have some Light Warriors nearby ready to join the fight. This means as it stands those Twili bastards have already lost and they don’t even know it.” The assembled men let out an enthusiastic laugh at the Colonel’s assurance before quickly quieting to let their commander finish his address. The Colonel face took on a more solemn expression as he continued, “The thing is, all that depend on us keeping them on that ice. Now I this we will be dangerous but I’ll be sending you all down that cliff as our archers by you time from up here. Once down there you’ll be making to full brunt Twili assault with you back against the wall. It won’t be easy, and I can’t promise many of you will live, but you must hold until our reinforcements arrive. You will keep the Twili on that ice. And Goddesses willing, we’ll all be toasting to our victory by tomorrow night. Now FALLOUT!” The Hylian soldiers carefully made their way down the cliff face. Those in heavy armor road on plant descended by makeshift crane while the rest repelled down on dozens of ropes that were pulled back up after to prevent the enemy for using them. It was only by the grace of the arrow storm that kept the Twili lines from charging them as they hurried into formation. It was only the grace of the Goddesses that they had enough time to form a solid line, as just as they were in position the sound of an explosion erupted from then base above them, an alarm sounded and the archers arrows ceased to rain down. The Twili Calvary took this as their signal and charged the Hylian line as fast as their war horses could manage. “Pikemen! Ready arms” a Major called out. Rows of massive polearms suddenly emerged from behind a line of heavy tower shields. The Major began to bark out more orders “Phalax hold your formation, Mages aim for the solders and leave the Golems to the heavy infantry. To not let them touch that wall.” The two fronts collided and the thunderous roar of battle rang out across barren lake bed. Horse were shredded by pikes, the Phalax were torn asunder and Golem smashed apart there shields. Hylian mages turned their enemies men to ash while Twili Duskcasters lay waist to defenders with the heathen incantations. The battle for Lake Hylia had now begun. 'Kae, Elly, and Aris, Night 1' CONTINUES FROM Sacred Duties P#27 Aris held the mirror aloft, the others gathered close to him. They all hoped to bring better days to Hyrule with their new-found gifts and talents. As planes shifted within sight, a mild disorientation came over the group. Holy light enshrouded them all, and they felt weightless as they shifted between worlds. Frigid cold ground appeared under their feet as the darkness of night eventually came into clear view. This ground indeed was ice, and they were on Lake Hylia from the looks of it. It had been frozen by that foul nemesis of Kae’s, a dark wizard named Quell, shortly before her journey to the Sacred Realm began. They could feel the ground shaking, and sounds of martial combat rang loudly in their ears. They had been warped right into the middle of a grand melee! Bright, violet-white light overcast the entire sky, and a symbol of Wisdom floated briefly in the air before dissipating like a series of fireworks. There was little time to prepare. They had all been caught flat-footed amidst pure combat hell, right where the front lines had collided. Aris quickly realized that the magicks and essences of Hyrule were not as potent as those of his home, and had to work with what was available. Kae conjured a handful of Star Shards to keep watch over her and her friends. Elly performed a rushed Jutsu and created shadow clones with their chain kunai ready to dance. Holding her sword aloft in haste, Kae shouted, and another vibrant flash of light rung out in the direction of the Twili. "Hylia's Chosen will not fall this day! Whoever the foe, we fight on!" Surrounded by troops of both factions, the heroes banded close together and took the fight to the enemy with all they could muster. They had no idea what the plan was, nor the entirety of what they were up against, let alone the odds. The Hylian forces rallied to the Scion and her entourage, and fought with more courage than mere mortals could generate. Faith had arrived. Wisdom guided their blades. Shadow hid their fear. Of course, with such a brilliant entrance, much of the fire began to be focused on Kae. Her Shards took out many arrows that were raining in her general direction, and Aris drew fire with his smiting spells. The two cleaved through infantry and cavalry as though it was mere grass, striking fear into the hearts of the enemy with their indignation. They were frightening while working in concert. Elly, on the other hand, found ways to confuse the enemy and cause them to attack one another as her shadow clones generated plenty of frustration. She was dancing many gore-filled steps as her chain kunai eviscerated many slow, heavily-armored soldiers. Even in the night sky, they could all see the bigger picture in the distance. There were golems. Heavy artillery. All sorts of things that could make their lives miserable. And behind them was the Hylian base, in flames. Aris stressed that they press on, as the offensive was the only way to keep it from being truly lost. "Lady Bryseis, we must push through and invoke Din's wrath upon their back lines! We mustn't falter! Whatever we do, the three of us must stay together!" The Scion nodded as she unleashed a devastating Lunar Cleave with the Starborn Edge, leaving a swath of Twili in front of her as half of what they used to be. The Hylian forces continued to rally with their presence, and fought hard to gain ground. It was going to be a long fight, but even being flat-footed at first, they were all ready to take full advantage of their gains in the Sacred Realm. 'Baron Simeon Ryssdal, Lake Hylia, Night 1' All across the northern cliffside of Lake Hylia, chaos reigned supreme as fire began to spread. Though the battle was mostly taking place on the ice below Simeon fought above to finish off the garrison before the Hylians could use the high ground to their advantage. Attempts to form a cohesive response to the attack was falling apart as sky born kargaroks and keese kept the defenders pinned down when they emerged into the open. To Simeon's surprise numerous explosions continued to blow the lakeside stronghold apart from the inside out. Either there was a chain reaction spreading or someone else had set the bombs to go off beforehand. Using what little light was available amidst the smoldering haze Simeon's focused all his magic into his metal pole. Sparking blue with arcs of superheated plasma a small construct in the shape of a sword point formed on the tip on his Rod of Light. Seeing an opening five heavily armored knights ran in with their mighty broadswords drawn. Simeon kept his ground and unstrapped the shield off his back. As the first knight charged in Simeon simply shoved the rod forward and extended the length of it's blade, stabbing the overeager berserker in the chest. The second man lunged his sword over and downward with considerable effort. Simeon quickly sidestepped and beheaded the Hylian through a narrow gap in his armor. All of the soldiers that confronted him seemed to flail around as they threw blunt force onto the thin unimposing Twili. In comparison Simeon's moves seemed deliberate and weightless as he effortlessly exploited their openings. When the last knight fell Simeon turned around to find a line of archers aiming at him. Unable to dodge as he gasped a man with long black hair leapt from a nearby building in the rear. As they went to loose their arrows chain whips slashed out from behind, felling the bowmen like grass to a mower. Remorsefully the mysterious attacker looked down upon a lone survivor, blood-soaked and battered. Though begging for his life a sorrowful "...I'm sorry" was the only reply the dark haired man gave. Looking away in disgust the palm of his hand came down onto the archers skin and Simeon watched as that life was literally drained away in the blink of an eye. The helpless boy's body began to wither and decompose as he took his final breath. Though horrified at what he had just saw Simeon was left with no doubt about who stood before him. It was the man the Twili had sent in to infiltrate the Hyruleans over the past month. The man they blackmailed into servitude. "Shadow Nightingale? So your the saboteur that's been bombing this base. You have my thanks. Now then, come with me." Simeon ran through the rapidly spreading inferno with the man named Shadow close behind. He came to a halt at an overlook, where he saw Twili archers well below him on the ice. Generating a small ball of red light with his rod he tossed the flare upward, giving the bowmen the signal to attack. Setting their arrows ablaze volley after volley of fire arrows rained down on the garrison. As he and Nightingale worked their way down the cliff what remained of the base was wrecked by flames. From miles around the seen of glowing embers flowed high into the frigid pre-dawn air. The Hylians had no choice but to abandon their base to the fire. Upon reaching the shoreline at the bottom however Simeon discovered himself under attack. Quickly dispatching his adversaries with Shadow's help he found his forces being quickly pushed back by the Hylian lines. At the front of the enemy formation fought two women flanked by a celestial being of some kind. Though he couldn't see who exactly they were he knew well enough of their skills by the trail of bodies left behind them. "I wasn't expecting them to throw their best warriors into the battle this early. Looks like there trying to counterattack before this offense really gets going." Simeon let out a small chuckle as a smile came onto his face. "This might actually fit into our strategy. Very well then..." Swinging his rod into the ground a purple spotlight launched into the air. Seconds later he heard a trumpet blowing. A small company of Twili men and woman marched out of the woods in the rear and onto the ice. Amongst their number, a feminine Sea Zora running in strange metal boots. "Looks like the time has come to prove yourself already Lady Delphinus. Let's see if you're as competent and loyal as Zephyra claimed." 'Stella Delphinus, Lake Hylia, Night 1' Marching out onto the ice with the rest of the Twili, Stella was beginning to have questions about what was really going on. "When did the lake get iced over" she kept thinking to herself. Sure there were always some powerful spell casters out there, but most couldn't freeze an area this size. And how did the Hylians entrench themselves into the region so quickly. Last time she checked the lake was on the front lines and the Zora had a major force stationed here. How could they have been wiped out when the war just started days ago. Stella was starting to worry about what happened in the time she was gone, or if she had even come back at all. Was David truly finished with her? The sound of the trumpet blaring out brought her mind back to the present. In distance she watched as the galvanized Hylians swarmed through the Twili front lines. Stella wasn't sure why Simeon didn't commit more troops into battle, but these numbers weren't anything she couldn't handle. The time had finally come to pay Hyrule back for it's treachery. As the ice crunched beneath her feet Stella started notice her Conversion Boots vibrating. Under her heels the frozen water glowed as her boots began hovering millimeters above the ground. Catching her balance the Zora noticed her traction was gone, but that she could slide across the ice more easily. Carefully pushing herself forward she was surprised to find the boots functioning remarkably similar to ice skates. Siding around to test her newfound ability she skid to a halt as the Hylian force closed in. "Never thought those figure skating lessons would come in handy like this" she thought to herself quietly. "Corporal Aybek, I'll charge ahead and create an opening. Try and have your men follow up from behind." The corporal gave a brief nod before he began firing arrows into the distance. Digging her toes in the ice Stella got a running start and then took off across the tundra at high speed. Chasing the retreating Twili some Hylian soldiers ran ahead of their peers only to stop at the sight of the on coming Zora. "Wait, what are you doing? State your...Arughhhhh!" The man was caught completely off guard as Stella swung her Halberd down across the Humans legs. Keeping her momentum going after cutting him down Stella impaled another knight on the spear tip of her Voulge. With the grace of a speed skater and the brutality of a hockey players she blitzed her way through the counterattack. In disbelief the Hylians turned to one another in utter confusion as to what was going on. "What are you starring at? This isn't a beauty pageant! Either fight me or surrender you fools!" In response the pike men of Hyrule hustled in and held their spears out in tight formation. Before they could skewer her on the ends of their blades as she skated in the she-Zora slammed the tip of her Halberd into the ice and jumped upward. Pole vaulting over the enemy spears, Stella back flipped and flew into the tight nit group. Slashing with her razor sharp fins Stella unleashed a windblown spin attack that blew the formation apart. Around her lay men bleeding, some unconscious, some surely dead. It was then Stella saw the warriors who were leading this charge. Two of them were Sheikah from the looks of it, but one was a hulking angelic man radiating with light. He was none other than a celestial, an ancient guardian of the Sacred Realm. Stella's face grew red in indignation to see such a holy being fighting for King Dromand's corrupt cause. "Why is he fighting for Hyrule? Have the gods themselves chosen to side against our tribe?" With the three still distracted in small skirmishes with the Twili Stella once again bladed her way back to full speed. It was only at the last moment the winged humanoid saw the enraged Zora charging him. Holding the halberd over her shoulder Stella threw the pole cleaver at Aris. As the weapon went airborne she extended her fins to slash into him in case it missed. 'Aris Mastigos, Night 1, Frozen Lake Hylia' Though odds were not in their favor, Aris' courage and fervor rallied the Hylians fighting alongside him. It also helped having the Scion closeby, not to mention Elly darting in and out of the ranks and assassinating marks amidst the confusion. Fighting thickened around them all, but they were pushing the Twili back each moment. And then an explosion rocked the battlefield from behind. Saboteurs had somehow gotten through, sapping the Hylian base to a condition beyond holding. Some soldiers turned to look and began cursing in despair. Kae did not turn around, and insisted that they press on. "Looking back is not going to change anything. The only way this battle is moving is in our favor!" Aris solemnly agreed with his Lady, smiting all who opposed him. Large, sweeping strikes did their part in thinning out the enemy lines. His crystalline bastard sword was aflame with holy vengeance; his staff unleashing coruscating missiles of the divine. But something felt off to him. He could hear less and less of the Hylians fighting behind him. Some Twili had broken through the lines in addition to the saboteurs he wasn't aware of. Arrows rained down from behind them all, and that got his attention more than anything. And it wasn't the damage inflicted on their side that did it. He saw a Zora woman fiercely throwing a spear and leaping after it with well-honed fins extended. With just enough time to react, he knocked the weapon off target with his staff, but could not parry the fins, which scored him solidly across the chest. He expected to feel pain, but he was not in his native environment. Aris felt the pressure and rending of flesh, and bright gold lifeblood flowed freely from the wounds inflicted. Even while all of that was happening, his sword was quickly flowing back down toward the Zora, blazing with divine retribution. He could see the hill in the distance out of the corner of his eye, and the Hylian outpost was lost. But he had to focus, and to alert Kae to quicken her killing tempo. "Lady Bryseis, our base is lost! We are flanked, and outnumbered at least three to one. Thrilling heroics strongly recommended!" 'Kae Bryseis, Night 1, Frozen Lake Hylia' Ground shook under her feet as the Scion danced lethal steps through the Twili line. Some were struck with her holy conviction. Others were still bewildered by her surprise entrance. And then there were the Interlopers who found themselves on the wrong end of the Starborn Edge. Some became dust. Others lost limbs, heads, and other parts of their being that are requirements for being alive. She confidently encouraged her troops, even though the explosion behind her sounded dreadful. Arrows whirring overhead and catching folks standing near her left her unfazed. "Never turn your back on the objective! Looking back is not going to change anything. The only way this battle is moving is in our favor!" Suddenly, Aris was not at her side. He had slipped back, but she didn't turn to look. He parried something, and then started shouting. "Lady Bryseis, our base is lost! We are flanked, and outnumbered at least three to one. Thrilling heroics strongly recommended!" He only said that in critical moments. Whatever Aris was dealing with wouldn't keep him, she thought. He loathed it when others interfered in his affairs of battle uninvited, and the line had to be held if not moved further out. Hylian forces shrunk in number still, as winged abominations dropped bombs and other sorts of foul atrocities on their forces. Rage grew within her. The homonculus clay cloying to her left arm shifted to raw celestial matter, and a pair of Star Shards flew into the air. Her Light Medallion let off an eerie incandescent glow as she unleashed a wave of Lunar energy with her free hand, knocking a few dozen Twili prone and killing many of them in the process. She then began to strafe and fire devastating rays of the same stuff into their ranks with ferocity. They were curving and pulsing, nowhere near the straight-flying ones she had used prior to her quest. "Wisdom condemns heretics! Your deaths will not absolve you!" Fighting thickened even more around her as Elly tried to run interference and draw them away into a strong formation of Hylian troops. But they were being drawn to the bright light of a heroine the Interlopers had presumed dead. As Kae continued to display her anger toward the enemy, those shards she released to the night sky found their targets. One embedded into the head of a golem near the back of the original frontal assault force. It had been flinging incendiaries, but its head vaporized in a violet-white explosion that took it out, sending it crashing onto the ice and taking troops with it. The other detonated on the back of a winged abomination, setting it ablaze in moonfire. It crashed mid-rank into Twili forces there as well. Letting loose an enraged scream, the Hylian forces roared with her and fought harder than ever. Things still weren't looking good, but they weren't as bad as a few moments ago. Whie Don't Belong Here 'Whie Malreaux, Late Night 1, A Forest' Night held the woods in a tight grip of darkness. The moon and the stars were hidden by a vast pall of clouds, but not even that light would have penetrated the thick forest canopy. Such would have only been physical light, anyway, and of no help to Whie Malreaux. He clambered through the trees, thoughtless as to his destination or direction. The Monkey Mask hung on his hip, banging against his thigh. The tap-tap-tapping beat out the cadence of his aimless flight, whispering in his soul. He tore at the foliage around him, attacking the leaves as though they had borne these foreign thoughts. A feral growl rumbled up from deep in his throat, a vain attempt to drown out that soft insisting voice. Find her. Find her. Find her. He threw himself into the trunk of a tree, hammering a coiled fist into it. A new cadence drummed against the rough bark, pulsing with the pain in his knuckles. Find her. Find her. Find her. But he didn't know where even to look. He didn't know what to do but tear his way through the forest in a blind search for someone who wasn't even there. Find her. Find her. Find her. Leaning against a tree would do no good, though. That much was certain. She wasn't going to be here, if she wasn't here. She had to be somewhere though! Somewhere other than here... He took off through the underbrush once more, thorns and branches tearing at his skin and clothes. 'Whie Malreaux, 1 Night, Forest' Whie ran. The dark shapes of tree trunks whipped by to either side of him, but he ran. Occasionally he would miss barreling full force into a tree by mere centimeters. But still he ran. Waves of pressure rolled through the forest and trees shook. Whie could feel the force compress his chest. And still he ran. Toward the booming sounds. Whatever the commotion was, it bore investigating. Then, the sky broke alight with a purple glow. He altered course slightly, drawn to that odd brightness. The trees thinned and he broke through onto the edge of a frozen lake, and the edge of a heated battle. Waves of troops fought and died, staining the ice red. Whie frantically whipped his head side to side, scanning the hectic carnage. His gaze was drawn to the center of the conflict, where both sides rallied. "It's her." He tore the heavy maul from his belt and charged into the ranks of soldiers, surprising them with an unexpected assault from the rear. Metal cracked against armor, cracking and breaking the protective skin, crushing the soft flesh within. He bellowed out a rage-filled battlecry, and lightning shot from the weapon in his hand, felling a row of soldiers. A red haze filtered his vision as he pummeled through the ranks, reveling in the slaughter. Such focus locked on killing and not being killed drowned out the siren's call of the mask hung on his hip. Its sweet song was nothing to the thrill of battle. And suddenly he found a calm in the storm of the conflict. There. Her. Blasting away with relishing abandon. The one from the church so long ago. The only thing he could seem to remember, of late. His fists clenched of their own accord. He thrust his maul into the air, and lightning struck upward into the clouds, drawing attention to him. "WHERE IS SHE?!?" he roared at the mage-woman. His maul fell, leveled at her, emitting a thick bolt of lightning that cut a zig-zag through the air straight toward the lodestone of a medallion nestled between her breasts. 'Kae Bryseis, Night 1, Frozen Lake Hylia' Aris was doing his best behind her, but Kae was still worried about him. Even while devastating the enemy forces, it was hard to fully focus. This is why he told her it was bad for them to fight in the same unit. They worked well together, but her feelings held her back. The Twili just kept coming. It felt as though there was no end to them. And then there was the lunatic with his mace. Still as unstable as before, but more composed in combat. "WHERE IS SHE?!" He moved quickly and used the gathered energy to fire a targeted colossal blast of lightning. It was headed right for the Light Medallion and its housing at the top of her sternum. If it hit her, she wouldn't get back up. Reacting as quickly as she could, she dove to her right, spinning on her way down to fire a beam of punishing Divine Light right back. She could smell raw ozone and felt her skin crackling all along her left side as she was grazed; it was quite painful. But before the beam could connect, the madman seemed to fuss with his mace arm and get pulled away. Elly had gotten to him, and she was only trying to protect Kae. Little did she know her help would hinder the resolution to their problem... At least the smiting ray connected with more Twili forces, exploding in an impressive ten foot diameter... Slowly making her way to her feet, Kae was clutching her left side as she raised her sword to press on. "Insufferable wretch. She found you instead." 'Elly Shea,Night 1, Frozen Lake Hylia' The battle gave Kae cause to start casting. This disturbed Elly because she knew this would draw a lot of attention to her. They had no idea what kind of scale this battle was other than large. Kae could not afford being the entire focal point of Twili hate. Not yet. Trying to draw aggression away from the Scion, Elly started randomly attacking different parts of the line. Whether with thrown weapons, handfuls of needles, or loose kunai pieces, many found their mark. This started feeding troops toward thicker Hylian defenses as they tried to take Elly out. Some still ignored her and went for Kae. Aris had his hands full with a Zora defector who she did not recognize. The woman wounded him quickly. However, he pressed on, seeming to be alright for now. Turning her attention back to the Scion, she saw a familiar insane man make his way through the Twili line and swiftly ready an attack directed at her friend. She made her move, letting her kunai fly through the air, but she couldn't entangle his arm in time to stop the lightning bolt. It looked quite lethal. Kae was able to hold her own and avoid the worst of it by diving to the right, and she countered just as Elly was able to jar the lunatic loose, pulling him away from the fight. As he staggered toward a more favorable position, Elly lunged at him with revenge in her eyes. With her off-hand leaving a foot or so of slack in the chain, Elly slashed horizontally, trying to catch her ensnared mark flat-footed. He had to pay for stealing her daggers. And Kae needed to focus on the battle at large. 'Treant, Frozen Lake Hylia, Night 1' Clapping its hands to knock the dirt off its palms, the Treant rose to its feet, giving the spot it had chosen for the new tree seed it had planted one last look before continuing the trek to the Lake. The chaos of war and the spilled blood of the dead filled the air as it drew near, cautiously slowing its stride and lowering its stance while remaining with the trees. It had always detested the violent nature of Man, but it attracted the mighty tree creature all the same; After all, there were inevitably those who were to return to the Earth as their last breaths left them and due to a self-imposed duty, the Treant was driven to bury the dead, no matter how high pile stacked. Despite how much it tried to remind itself this was the reason it came, this was not the case. Something...else...was seducing the monster to this place. A magic of such nature had not been felt in a millennium wafted through the air in this place, which deeply troubled the Treant. The last memory it had associated with an energy like it was not a happy one. Though, the energy it smelled was cleaner and more pure and good in nature, it was unmistakably similar, and for that reason could not be ignored. Forgetting itself momentarily, the Treant realized it had walked too far in its slow pace and had reached a distance from the fight that left it visible to those who would look to the trees. Deciding it too late to hide, the Treant ignored its overwhelming instinct and desire to leave. Caressing the child's face once again, the tree monster laid the limp body on the far side of the nearest tree, hiding it from plain sight, but obvious enough a tree to be found easily. Deciding that would have to be enough, it turned to the fight that raged on the ice as magic and bodies flew around with what would be hilarity if it didn't mean that so many were meeting their bloody ends at every given moment. This tree creature was going to find the source of this power, even if it meant losing a limb. Following its instincts and the scent of the energy, it only took at least ten minutes to discern the source of the power it so sought after. To its surprise, it was a woman who carried herself heroically, felling Twili soldiers with ruthless precision, grace and speed as her magic dispatched those unlucky enough to be missed by her blade. The Treant was momentarily mesmerized by its appearance, which was a beautiful tint that looked like the starry night above, almost making it invisible to the naked eye from some angles. It couldn't shake the familiarity of the sight, but being unable to get a good look of the woman's face, it had no choice but to ignore it. This was obviously not who it was looking for; Her magic though familiar in its smell and size looked nothing like what was remembered after all those years past. The Treant's shoulders sagged as it relaxed with relief, turning to those who had met their ends and were no longer among the living. Ignoring the swords and arrows that rendered the area dangerous, it wordlessly began work in giving the dead their proper final resting places. Starting with the humans, the Treant dragged their dead off two at a time to the land surrounding the icy battlefield and without prompt began to dig, keeping an eye on the woman and the other on its job to clean up the lake of bodies. 'Stella Delphinus, Frozen Lake Hylia, Night 1' After successfully landing a blow Stella slid feet first across the ice as the crushing weight of the blade narrowly missed her. Burning off momentum as she rose back up she pulled her arms in and spun around to face Aris. Amazingly for such a lightly armored figure the cuts to his chest seemed to inflict no response besides a call for his allies to push forward. Clearly this was no ordinary mortal she faced. Kicking her fallen Halberd up with her toes she caught the rusty red pole in her hands and closed in for the kill. Eyes locked on each other Stella slowly circled the angelic man like a shark stalking its prey. Occasionally the two would exchange quick jabs at each other only to have them carefully parried away. Each waited for a moment when the other would drop their guard and go in for the finish. Taunting the creature several lifetimes older than herself Stella couldn't erase a question from her mind she needed to ask. "Answer me this, oh great spirit. Why fight for Hyrule? Do you fight alone for your own free will, or have the gods themselves sanctioned this genocidal crusade? The Zora fear not either way!" Before he could answer Stella saw Corporal Aybek in the corner of her peripheral vision. She saw him holding his bow taunt with an ice arrow powered up. With frost slowly blowing off his arrowhead he looked to Stella and waited for a clear shot. She would have to time this just right, one wrong move and the arrow could hit her instead. Circling past one more time Stella waited until her back faced Aybek and then gave the command. "NOW!" Aybek loosed his arrow as Stella leaped to the side. The cold projectile blasted through the spot she stood only milliseconds before, sending a chill down her spine. Rocketing past her left shoulder Stella swung her ax blade to the right, hoping to catch Aris as he attempted to dodge. 'Aris Mastigos, Frozen Lake Hylia, Night 1' Either this Zora woman was a blatant traitor, under unnatural mental influence, or just plain old angry against the Hylians. She was quick though, and that proved problematic for his heavy-handed style. From what he remembered of their history, they preferred to be left alone and their territory was sacred in all aspects. Which is what had him confused. But traitors were traitors, and nothing enraged him more than those kinds of people. "I fight for the Hylians, Zora, Gorons, and all who oppose the Twili Interlopers, who you seem to have cast your lots with. You, miss, are a traitor to your own kind, and will be dealt with as such!" Aris detected a magical glint in his peripheral vision as the Zora shouted, rushing him from her right. He raised his crystalline longsword to parry, ablaze with holy energies. As he did so, he felt an arrow swish by his head, rich with ice magicks. After parrying, the angel drove the staff in his off-hand toward his attacker. It was supercharged with divine retribution and ready to smite on contact. Hoping for center mass, he kept his longsword ready to parry again if he had to. 'Kae, Frozen Lake Hylia, Night 1' The Scion could hear her paramour shouting about a traitor Zora as she danced about the battlefield. She held the line together, and not just by being present. Those around her fought with everything they had, and she thought they were trying to impress her. This was partially true. Survival against impossible odds and her repeated battle cries kept them rallied. As did her heroic displays of destructive magic. It was time to offer a little more assistance without exhausting her reserves of magick too heavily. But before she could bless the troops, she heard a familiar sound in her head. Thought noise was creeping in ever the more, and intracranial pressure started to build. However, glass was breaking. Something bad was about to happen and she had the choice of really bad or less bad. Or good and bad. She hated making these choices, but at least Nayru gave her the ability to do so in emergent situations. The first vision was of a fast-moving projectile that barely missed Aris. It hit her right in the base of the skull, freezing her solid. The Twili overtook her position, and a Golem made its way to where she was, shattering her to pieces instantly. The second vision was of her catching the arrow at the last moment and flinging it in a random direction away from the Hylian forces. This was an easy choice. Perhaps Din acknowledged the lesson Kae had nearly sacrificed her life to learn...then time rewound before her very eyes. Casting her celestial arm out, she caught the ice arrow between her thumb and forefinger mere centimeters from the base of her skull. Kae then took a quick stride, arcing the arrow into the sky, hoping to hit something in the back lines and disrupt support. Results didn't take long to appear as the projectile had connected with a Shadow Kargorok. It solidified quickly; shocked as the ice crept up its form to finish at its head, the large creature crashed into a group of mages, causing some serious mayhem. Those around her roared in amazement, but the battle was far from over. Raising her sword as others formed a pocket of protection around her, Kae uttered a brief blessing to consecrate their weapons. "Fairest Nayru, may our blades strike true! Guide us to victory with your infinite Wisdom!" Swords, axes, spears, and hammers all began to glow with the hues of the night sky. Their weapons had been touched by Lunar Light, and they cut at the heart of heresy. She turned to look at Aris briefly, and saw a tall tree creature digging on the lake's edge. Grateful that the dead were getting respected, she pressed her attack further. 'Baron Simeon Ryssdal, Lake Hylia, Night 1' Having fought has way to the rear of the battlefield Simeon and Shadow rejoined the rank and file of the receding Twili lines. Awaiting his return a lower officer ran to his side, nearly slipping onto the ice in his panic. “Lord Ryssdal, we need immediate back up! Were down to half our troops and our lines won’t hold much longer. We won’t take the lakeside with our current numbers. We’re being wiped out!” Simeon fingers tightened into hard fists while he grinded his teeth at the news. He knew losses of this kind were inevitable, but that foresight did little to ease the pain of loosing men so quickly. Yet keeping his composure Simeon reminded himself why such losses were nessacarry. Taking a deep breath he began to explain their true situation. "Our losses are truly regrettable, but don’t underestimate the strength of our army. Their sacrifice has resulted in the Hylians playing right into our hands. The only reason they’ve pushed us back so far is because we wanted them to." “Wait. What are you implying sir?” It was just then that the sound of blaring horns echoed outwards from the woods in the rear. Out of the bush came a massive army that far outnumbered the Hyruleans and Simeon’s battalion combined. Into the lake poured thousands horse men and mages, siege towers and infantry. And rising as if to meet the approaching dawn, a massive dragon in armor black as obsidian. This tidal wave of beast and humanity raged forward as a grin appeared on Simmons face. "Well I could explain, but I think it’s better to see for yourself." “You intended this all along?” questioned Shadow. "Yes. My attack was never meant to succeed. Its all a diversion, one to draw our enemy away from the cliff sides and on to center ice. With their best fighters down in this pit the high ground has been left unguarded. Shadow, go to the rear and accompany men up the lakeside. I’ll provide cover from here." “But the ridge is too tall? How will we…?” "Just go! I’ll make sure your loyalty is rewarded in the end." With the possibility of seeing an end to his duty Nightingale nodded and ran for the rear. There the Twili Imperial Army descended upon the west shoreline of Lake Hylia and parked their siege towers next to the vast rock walls. Behind them were 3 basket shaped gondolas similar to those beneath hot air balloons. As several soldiers and Twili engineers climbed in the duskshard dragon argorok hovered above. Grasping the gondolas ropes with its tail and mighty talons the dragon took to the air. Sailing up the ridge with ease argorok unleashed a wall of fire breath onto the few defenders that remained uncommitted to the battle below. Their opponents insinuated the knights jumped out of the basket as the dragon glided down to pick up more people. The engineers scurried to the ledge and began hammering several chain link rope ladders firmly into the ground. Now in place they unrolled the ladder down the cliff and onto the top deck of the siege towers. Making haste hundreds of Twili began their ascension up the western side of the lake. As the infantry scaled the ladders, lightweight archers and mages were picked up by large carrier kargaroks and airlifted to their destination. The heavy knights, golems, and cavalry sorted into the baskets and we’re flown onto the ridge by argorok. Like a conveyor belt of people the Twili army stormed out of the lakes deep gorge and onto the open fields above. Meanwhile the remaining men in Simeon’s initial attack force fell back and regrouped into a defensive line sandwiched between the Hylians and the Twili in the rear. Intent on keeping the Hylians at bay Simeon advanced forward with a platoon of noblemen flanking his sides. These wealthy aristocrats all bore dark grey armor embedded with blue lines of light their kingdom was famous for. Someone was enhancing the Hylian attackers with the power of lunar light. While he supposed it was a good tactic to use against normal men, Simeon was not an ordinary Twili. Colliding with the enemy formation Baron Ryssdal’s rod locked with an moonlit ax as the two pushed around for supremacy. Suddenly the Hylian axes glow was absorbed into Simeon’s blade of light. Converting its magic from moonglow into utter blackness the baron cut clean through the ax handle with pure shadow energy. Bringing the defenseless solider down the next attacker swung, only to have his lunar light stolen away as well. As the noble knights fought next to him a few took deep hits in their armor. Some survived to counterattack while some took their last breath. Regardless of the outcome Baron Ryssdal felt his power grow as moonlight crashed against metal plaiting. When he first created it Simeon designed their armor not only to protect its warer against light magic, but to also retransmit that power straight back to him. A wash with energy Simeon achieved a aura he rarely felt before dawn. From out of his rod formed a giant hammer the likes only a Goron could wield. Resembling a black hole shaped like a mallet Simeon swung the megaton construct as if it weighed like paper. Yet to those on the receiving end, crushing force as the last sensation they ever felt. Bodies literally went flying through the air as the hammer flung around with a grace that seemed impossible. Any attempt to parry only lead to the users weapon being knocked away as Simeon brought down foe after foe of goddess worshiping men. 'Stella Delphinus, Lake Hylia, Dawn Day 2' As Stella swung her attack in coordination with the ice arrow, her jaw dropped for the slightest of moments. Aris miraculously parried while at the same time dodging death by mere centimeters. Such timing was either incredibly skilled or else stupidly lucky. As the winged spirit brought his wrath down upon her with divine light blazing Stella blocked his staff with swift ease. Only she didn't account for the power such an attack carried behind it. Upon her halberd making contact with Aris' staff, the air around her seemed to explode in holy retribution. Ice shattered around her as the Sea Zora's body flew backwards. Icicle like shrapnel penetrated her scales in thin slivers. Stella couldn't decide whether the pain felt hot or cold, but it hurt like hell none the less. Cursing as drops of blood dripped from her wounds she picked herself back up. As she came to her feet the boots she wore sparked and lost power. Crunching onto the frozen lake she lost her hover ability, and now her main advantage was gone. She couldn't match the immortals reflexes, agility, and power on her own. The best she could hope for was to keep him at a distance for now and wait for more powerful warriors to enter the brawl. In that moment the pastel sky shone with first light of day. Looking onto the hills above Stella could see a hoard of zombies, flaming zombies, stammering across the hillside to attack the Twili. Scuffing out loud as Airs approached Stella spoke her disgust. "Your hypocrisy is appalling celestial! You claim me a traitor to my people yet align yourself with the undead? Your big words can't fool me. Did you fight for the Zora when our trust key was stolen? Did you fight for the Goron's as their guards were killed without reason? Do you fight for the Hylian's as Dromand lies to his own people?" Stella raised her Halberd to ward of any attack that was coming. "I don't know what he plots to do with the vault, but I do know this. King Dromand is nothing but an imperialist out to annex our homeland. Neither I nor King Tiburon will allow you to take it!" 'Whie Malreaux, (Super) Early Morning 2, Lake Hylia' Whie was jarred aside even as the burst of electricity snapped out from his maul. A counter beam from the woman likewise snapped at him, but his stumbling pulled him aside of the debilitating blow. He growled as pain registered in his arm, looking at the two kunai that had snagged his skin, and the chains which had allowed his unknown assailant to pull him away from she who could answer his questions. No. Press on, the questions must be answered! With a snarl he grabbed the chains circling his left arm in a fist. Again, that electric build-up tingled through him, and he fed it all into the metal links. That current which flowed through into him he redirected back through the metal, while the rest arced over the chain to the owner. He grinned as he looked to see the frying and bubbling flesh of the one who has interrupted him, but the grin faded when he saw who faced him. "Leonora..." 'Elly Shea, Frozen Lake Hylia, Early Morning 2' She couldn't let anyone hurt Kae. Elly knew that her intervention would probably be her final heroic act. This foe was beyond her, and the fear of death raced through her mind rapidly. Even so, Elly had to give everything she had to buy Kae enough time to put an end to this battle, or to hold out until others could do the same. Pulling her deranged opponent out of combat with Kae proved to be effective, but the retaliation nearly caused her to pass out. Electricity fed back through her fighting chains, causing skin to burn and blister all throughout her arms, neck, and chest. She could smell the raw ozone as her thin frame slammed hard against the ice. For a few moments, she was paralyzed, and the pain made it hard for her to form many thoughts. She heard her opponent speak but one name, and it was one she had heard before. It never made sense, and she never understood why he was so stuck on this Leonora woman. Jilted love, perhaps? Before he could send more voltage through, she activated the quick release on her kunai, breaking them free from her wrist and the rest of her outfit. A major advantage was lost, but direct melee was not going to work here. She had to stay at range and use what thrown items she had to keep him at bay. It would only take one precision attack if she calculated right. Insanity in a fighting style proved to be a detriment for Elly. She couldn't read him or what was coming next. First he was firing lightning bolts, and then he went to melee. Struggling to her feet, she used the addtional movement provided by the frozen lake to throw two handfuls of Sheikah poison needles in his direction. It was a strafing run. Feeling she could dodge bolts, it was best to stay back and not engage in melee yet. Challengers Approach 'Polaris Eridanus, Hyrule Field, First Night' "Something like me." Isaacs words had hung over the pair like a fell omen as they had walked shoulder to shoulder, stride for stride out of Castle Town, drawn to the flashes of what could only be a full scale battle at the lake. The lake. Lake Hylia was so much more than just a lake to the Zora and even more than that to Polaris. The General had so much history there that he no longer truly knew what it was or wasn’t. The Kinslayers words cycled back to the fore of his thoughts, driving out all reminiscences for a time and Polaris was unable to stifle a rueful bark of laughter. ”Have we ever been so different you and I?” Polaris had stopped walking, forcing his companion to do the same. As Telmar turned to face him, Polaris continued with his line of thinking before giving an opportunity for rebuttal. ”I have long been slave to one monarch or another, bound by some thrice damned sense of honor and manipulated by a dog biting witch from the desert who bends her knee only to lick the boots of the Demon King himself. I have killed and been killed. The Zora trump card, scourge of the Hylians.” A fine crimson mist rolled off of the Generals body, swirling wildly as the wind kicked up of its own accord. ”A blind puppet. Nothing more. A thousand years of toil and terror treading the tormented trails of the underworld after killing a fallen God, only to be thrust into the madness of the Dusk Warp because of what? Loyalty? Friendship? Bah.” Polaris spat. The fine mist had grown thicker and began to coalesce into the blurred serpentine shape, slowly solidifying into a massive crimson dragon. Polaris leapt from foreleg to back in a single fluid motion, scaling the rimey beast like a mountain goat, he nestled himself between a pair of frigid spikes along the constructs spine and looked down at Isaac. ”Now then. Let us be off.” The air thrummed with the concussive force of the dragons wings as it and Polaris rose into the air. ”I fear those who stand against the eternal twilight are in need of people like us.” 'Senshi, Hyrule Field, Night 1' "I wouldn't put too much stock in his advice," Senshi said to Polaris as he climbed onto the dragons back. "Whatever it is you're dealing with that makes you think your anything like Kinslayer, channeling won’t make things better. No matter how you use it they still see you as evil if you let them see them." He took a brief second to find secure spot to sit before continuing, "See the thing is Eridanus, we can't afford for you to become ostracized from the Light Warriors like I am. We need you to unify them, because whatever you may think of yourself everyone else sees you as a leader, a beacon of hope to follow, not some damn puppet. I wouldn't have spent the past 6 months trying to find you if that weren’t the case. So to be frank, what's ever bothering you, whatever happened when you were in the past, bury. Bury it deep a deal with it after the war, because now we need you to be the person everyone thinks you are. Leave the shady stuff to those of us who everyone already knows are tainted." Misha listened to the conversation, staying quiet and trying to hide her concern. After helping her escape to the Interlopers, Senshi had gone out of his way to reject any of his abilities that the others viewed as evil. He'd never used is anti-magic and rarely used his scythe, regardless of how hard battles they fought were. He had done all of this because he didn't want to use the powers the other Light Warriors thought were evil yet despite it all here he was still talking as if he still can't walk among them and still had to be the to do the dirty work. He was both rejecting the shadow and refusing to be allowed to walk in the light. She was really beginning that if he didn't resolve himself to one world or the other it would get him killed. 'Isaac Telmar, Hyrule Field, Night One' "I fear those who stand against the eternal twilight are in need of people like us." Isaac had watched impassively as Polaris' crimson mists swirled and coalesced into the form of the mighty red ice serpent of which he'd heard much. New heights of power. They all seemed to be reaching them. But when Shinigami caught up to them and clambered aboard the red ice construct's spiny back, spouting about the needs of the many, Isaac rose into the air on a plume of warmed air, parallel with the two mounted men, and let him tie his own noose. "See the thing is Eridanus, we can't afford for you to become ostracized from the Light Warriors like I am. We need you to unify them, because whatever you may think of yourself everyone else sees you as a leader, a beacon of hope to follow, not some damn puppet. I wouldn't have spent the past 6 months trying to find you if that weren’t the case. So to be frank, what's ever bothering you, whatever happened when you were in the past, bury. Bury it deep a deal with it after the war, because now we need you to be the person everyone thinks you are. Leave the shady stuff to those of us who everyone already knows are tainted." He barked a laugh at that. Below and to the west, he could just make out some tumult at the Hylian fortifications overlooking the lake. The Twili, it seemed had made their move and it was a strong hand they'd played. "The more words tumble off of that tongue, Shinigami, the more I hear you rattling the chains around the General's throat, drawing them taut." The air around him shimmered with the heat it took to keep him aloft, and it wavered in his wake as he levitated in a circle around the beast's maw from right wing to left, smirking all the while. "Did you not hear a word he said? Honor is a slaver's bond just as readily as irons, duty a yoke that men willingly place upon their shoulders because they dream of something more. If Polaris deems to have given enough of himself, what right have you to demand more? You would make of him again the blind puppet he's ever been, with no thought for what he might need?" He rose higher still, until he looked down on both, perched between the beating wings of a creature that did not live but by Polaris' will. The wind at such heights swept the folds of his coat out behind him and tugged at the stiff spikes of his hair as he met the General's eyes again. "There is a war to be fought, aye, but that does not mean you need to fight it by their rules, General. Men like us are drawn to conflict, but we're masters unto ourselves now, and our tactics are our own." And then he shot up into the air twenty spans higher, turned as though a falcon on the wing, and plummeted into a steep vertical dive. A shambling mass of the demonic undead had begun to issue forth from the smashed-out gates. It appeared that Prince had decided that he did not care to wait for Isaac to provide him with his mountain of desiccated flesh. He had chosen instead to take matters into his own hands. These walking cadavers moved with surprising speed, and the Hylian fortifications on the heights were not far. It was nice of Prince to send him such a useful tool. He circled the horde, aware of the dragon and the watchers atop its back from high above. He soared low over them, almost low enough for their grasping hands, filthy with blood and dirt crusting their chipped fingernails, to take hold of his rippling garb, and threw out his hands. Jets of oily flame, bright orange this time, showered the brittle, dead flesh, spreading through them even as they continued their mindless march toward the blasted out forts in a tide of fiery, ravenous death. He twisted, rose back into the air, and regained his place at the dragon's side. "That ought to entertain the forerunners. Now what say we head for the thick of it?" 'Senshi, Hyrule Field, Night 1' "It's not about-" Senshi tried to respond back was cut short when Isaac jumped off the dragon to play with some zombies, "I have a feeling working with him is going to be much more problematic then I first thought." Unwilling to let such an important matter to be side lined by minor distractions Senshi was quick to restart to argument once Kinslayer returned, "It's not about duty and honor. It's about surviving this damn war and hopefully winning while still being able to be a person. It’s not about shackling him to some obligation; it’s about keeping him from being shackled by his own inner demons. Someone like you may not understand the concept because your perfectly happy killing everyone you've ever known. You enjoy being a force of malice, circumstance or consequence be damned. Its why no matter what happen, no matter what side you take and no matter what deeds you commit good or bad you'll always be The Kinslayer to everyone and never be Isaac Temlar, just like I'll always be Shinigami instead of Senshi Ma to everyone no matter how hard I try to be otherwise. And now you want to drag Eridanus into our miserable fate. Why? So he can be a miserable Jack Ass like you? Or maybe you just want other mass murder around you'd have a friend for once." Senshi took a moment to calm himself when he realized the subject matter was causing his temper to flair. Not only was the argument hitting a little too close to home for him, but it was about yet another Light Warrior fall into that same curse that so many of them had in the past and he would do anything to prevent it from happening again. "Still, if none of that matter consider things from a practical sense. Our objectives will be much more easily accomplished if we're able to work with the Light Warriors. That would be quiet difficult if they end up despising Eridanus as well. Or did you think Mytura was just going to except you with open arms and become your new best battle body." 'Polaris Eridanus, Hyrule Field, Midnight One' Polaris clutched the frigid neck spike in front of him and listened intently to the war of words between Shinigami and the Kinslayer, both sides displayed tempting morsels as the presented their arguments. Both vied for his favor, yet his attentions were elsewhere. Polars found himself gazing into the black void of night and drawing comparisons to the tar black waters of the Styx. The faces of the lost and the damned had floated just below the surface reaching out and clutching at his ankles. They mercilessly tore at his flesh even as Sourbeneton tried to wrest his soul from him. Polaris smirked as he recalled the complete sense of shock that had washed over the fallen Oni as the realization of his own death dawned on him. Just as quickly, Polaris shuddered at the memory of being touched by the Dark Fathers fragmented soul. Davus Fulmen had resided deep within Polaris’ conscious for eons whilst he wandered through the maddening rifts of the Dusk Warp and yet the touch of The Feared, perhaps noticeable in other circumstances went wholly overlooked as he raged against both the Dusk and the Fallen Light… If the Guardians had not been the source of Polaris’ spiral into the Warp, what had caused the explosion on that blasted island? Dawn of the Second He pushed those thoughts to the background as the first of the mornings suns rays peered through the clouds and the trio came into view of the lake. It was carnage. The Twili had the high ground and the unquestioned upper hand. Black beasts and engines of war rolled as the Hylians offered what resistance they could. Polaris ground his teeth as Senshi said something, whatever it was had been lost on the wind and in the din of war as the dragon swooped low over the battle, skimming just out of reach of the Twili lines they rained down a roiling, frozen crimson hell upon the dusk skinned intruders. This was his lake and they would rue the day they set foot upon its shores. Polaris turned to face the necromancer. ”Jump.” Confusion and then a mixture of resigned acceptance and worry crossed over Senshi’s face. He said something else, but Polaris paid him no mind as he faced forward and focused on his breathing as he waited for the telltale change in weight that would come when his passenger disembarked. Once he knew he rode alone, the General did not tarry to see what became of his companion, instead he yanked hard on the dragons neck spike causing it to shriek wildly and angle upwards with several hard flaps of its powerful wings, chunks of ice broke free and rained down on those below as they ascended. Arcing high above the battlefield Polaris spied the Twili rats as they tried to scurry up the siege towers and away from the heart of the fighting, with a flick of his conscious Polaris watched without remorse as the Red Ice Dragon spat its frozen flame, washing those locked in mortal combat beneath it with cold, unyielding death. The creature tucked its wings tight to its flanks and spiraled downward at breakneck speed, not bothering to slow their descent the pair crashed into the frozen ground at the base of the siege towers in an earth shattering explosion. Moments later, Polaris rose up at the heart of a tempest of howling winds, bloody rain and vermillion sleet and hail. Crimson lightning flashed at the storms center as Polaris hovered above the maelstrom with cold hatred in his stare and oaths of murder upon his lips. He cackled madly as a roaring dragon head burst forth from the body of the hurricane, its angry maw was death incarnate as it snapped up countless victims, ravaging their bodies with tooth and claw with an unbridled lust for death before turning its attention upon the nearest siege engine. The ragged teeth clamped down on the middle portion of the tower and jerked its head side to side with the sheer violence and ferocity only a beast of its ilk could muster. As the dragon chewed up wood and twili flesh alike with the cold indifference of fate itself, Polaris lashed out with lightning forged chains, striking down those that fell from the tower or had been queued at the base waiting to climb. Again and again he cast out his chained makhaira like an angry god and he exulted, indulging his blood lust without remorse even as he felt the fire of Telmar approaching. '''''CONTINUES ON A Battle of Ice and Fire Part II __FORCETOC__